A COMMUNITY is appealing for funds to help it clean up a graffiti-ridden mural once and for all.

The hand-painted artwork, which runs along the subway under the A34 in Botley, is covered with scrawl from the past year.

Ag MacKeith, who lives nearby, said: “It would be great if Highways England could release some funds so we could maintain the mural.

“We are local people and we care about it. We want to be able to look after it.”

Chairman of North Hinksey Parish Council, David Kay, added: “Unfortunately, it falls out of our remit, because the mural runs under the A34, and anything to do with that road is down to Highways England. It is not that we do not care about it, but we don’t have control over the maintenance.

“All we can do is flag it to Highways England.

“It would be great if we could get it looking new and fresh again.”

The mural was painted by Didcot artist Michael Iddon in 1989 and depicts a street scene of St Giles in the city centre and North Hinksey’s 12th century St Lawrence Church.

Stuart Miller, a spokesman for Highways England, said: “Obviously we do not want to divert from safety issues, because road maintenance and resurfacing is a priority for us, but things like vandalism and graffiti are important too.

“We will definitely look into this and will contact our local team. However, I won’t be able to promise it is sorted out immediately.

“There are ways of dealing with graffiti. For example, you could spray the mural with a substance which prevents people painting over it.”

In 2010, the Oxford Mail reported about the graffiti “tagger” Soak who ruined the murals with a four-foot long multi-coloured signature.

Vandal Charlie Silver, the man behind the distinctive tag, was given a 10-week jail sentence earlier this year after admitting eight counts of criminal damage across the city centre and North Oxford costing an estimated £1,610.

Silver, 24, of no fixed abode, was arrested with a rucksack full of marker pens, paint and spray paint in November last year, as well as pieces of paper with his trademark “Soak” tag.